Notes from Planning Sabbaticals: A Guide for Congregations and Their Pastors, by Robert C. Saler
Introduction
p. 4 pastoral sabbatical is an extended period of time in which the pastor is away from the congregation pursuing a variety of intentionally renewing activities. Possibilities are virtually endless.
p. 5 renewal period or renewal experience – a shared experience between pastor and congregation. Think of the entire experience as one unified process – the early dreaming stages, the logistical planning, the pastor’s leave, the congregation’s activities, the reunion, the shared ministry together after
Purpose is not to produce a certain product, but for the pastor to regain energy and focus and connection to inner spiritual resources – all for the sake of being renewed for a long shared ministry with their congregation.
p. 6 the most successful pastoral sabbaticals involve the entire congregation from start to finish.
Chapter 1 Shared Journey: Why Pastoral Renewal Leaves are Good for Congregations
p. 11 the better the renewal time for the congregation, the better the sabbatical time for the pastor, and vice versa.
The main “product” is a refreshed and renewed pastor
Prayer, spiritual disciplines, delight in loved ones and hobbies, and rest all require time and attention to cultivate.
Sabbaticals are for healthy pastors in healthy congregations
Soul care [of the congregation] requires soul maintenance [of the pastor]
p. 15 when we are centered in God, the labor that we are called to do in God’s vineyard moves with greater ease, but also more excellence
p. 16 what is the other main goal of a sabbatical? An inspired congregation
p. 18 a congregation may step up in leadership and even increase attendance while pastor is away; or attendance may decrease, as congregation itself takes a kind of sabbatical to be rejuvenated when the pastor returns
the congregation the pastor together embark on the renewal experience
p. 19 the congregation can explore similar topics and themes as the pastor who is away, journeying alongside their pastor so that wisdom and insights can be shared upon the pastor’s return
p. 20 have the courage to seek the renewal that is right for your context – it will be different in each place
Chapter 2 Beginning the Dialogue: Some Common Concerns
p. 27 the congregation as a whole, in partnership with its pastor, is undertaking a renewal period that is for the benefit of the entire congregation. This is shared work, in hopes of shared benefits.
Difference between vacation and sabbatical has less to do with activities and more to do with intent. A vacation is intended for pure relaxation and refreshment. A sabbatical, on the contrary, should be designed with this question in mind: what activities will renew the pastor’s heart and ministry for long-term ministry in the congregation? A vacation is recreation; a sabbatical is focused renewal.
p. 28 the question is less “What?” and more “Why?” Why will these activities reenergize the pastor and revitalize the congregation?
State the goals for the renewal program clearly, early, and often.
p. 29 The gift of time is needed to live into patterns of rest and refocus
renewal leaves are also excellent times for the congregation to find out what its people can do. Renewal periods can give congregations courage to realize their members have gifts, known and unknown.
p. 30 congregations often increase their confidence in their own people, and their ability to pursue mission. Healthy self-reliant congregation and healthy, refreshed pastors are a winning combination for ministry.
Ask: What can we do in this renewal period to help the congregation thrive?
p. 33 A congregation can prepare itself for the renewal period by putting structures in place to cover emergencies without bringing the pastor who is on sabbatical in – and then commit to following them!
Key ingredient for successful renewal experience is a formal plan, worked out between pastor and congregation, to ensure limited contact between the congregation and pastor while the pastor is away. The more thoroughly “away” the pastor can be during the leave, the more the benefits of the renewal for both pastor and congregation.
p. 34 if the pastor spends large parts of sabbatical thinking about or intervening in the congregation, they can never quite get the full benefits of focusing on renewal activities. Meanwhile, the congregation can inadvertently be taught that members themselves are not empowered to respond to ministry challenges when they arise.
Assume that the pastor will have very little contact with parishioners during the leave – even in cases such as deaths or other pastoral emergencies. The work of the church belongs to the whole people of God, this is a prime opportunity to embody that.
p. 36 a period of at least 3 months allows the pastor to enter the “rhythm” of sabbatical. At least three months signifies it is not vacation by rather an intentional time of refocusing for ministry
p. 37 renewal takes time and gentle rhythm, and should not be rushed
Chapter 3 What Should the Pastor Do during the Renewal Period?
p. 42 It is crucial to apply the joy vs. obligation test to every significant activity on the proposed agenda for the pastor’s sabbatical. If an activity is chosen because it brings joy, then it is the right activity. But even the “right” activity becomes wrong if joy gives way to obligation or pressure!
If an activity is done out of joy and not obligation, then virtually any activity can be appropriate for a sabbatical leave
p. 43 a common mistake is to pack too many activities into the time period. The goals of a renewal leave (revitalization, renewal of connectedness in call, slow growth in spiritual connectedness, etc.) all depend upon a deliberate pace with lots of “downtime” for reflection and processing built in. You don’t want the pastor feeling in need of a vacation after the sabbatical!
Key is to put together a 3 – 4 month program that contains, not only a variety of activities, but a balance of energy. High intensity periods (such as foreign travel) should be followed by periods of downtime for processing, recuperation, etc.
Craft a focused series of activities that will allow you to experience unhurried, unscheduled rejuvenation at various points during the leave. Have adventure, but breathe. Find times to process and muse along the way. This will maximize your energy for re-entry when you return to the congregation.
“Downtime” looks different for each individual.
p. 44 If a theme is helpful, then choose one that speaks to you. But don’t let it become a constraint. Instead your “theme” may be activities that speak to different aspects of your soul and vocations.
p. 45 renewing the soul often means spending intentional time feeding relationships that are meaningful to us.
Some pastors benefit from a mix of intensive family time and solo time spent in meditation, prayer, travel. For instance, two weeks of solo prayer and journaling time in the woods, followed by a month of travel with the family, then ending with solo trips to see mentors, or taking a class.
p. 46 pastors should avoid traveling with congregation members. Being too connected to congregation members, even friends, can short circuit the sabbatical process.
p. 47 having a solid plan in advance allows for “going offscript” for detours, surprises, or other deviations from the original script.
Do as much planning as possible for activities and logistics: costs, timelines, etc. Err on the side of overplanning, then you can comfortably improvise when you are “on the ground” on the leave
p. 48 the best way to outline a sabbatical is to account for every day within basic blocks of time. This provides structure and helps with budget planning, communication logistics, etc. It also helps the congregation follow along with the pastor at any given time – and pray for the pastor and any companions as they travel to each new area.
Dream! Breathe. Show the world what feeds your soul, and trust that your congregation will want that for you. That trust is the cornerstone of sabbaticals that renew and delight.
Chapter 4 What Should the Congregation Do during the Renewal Period?
p. 50 salary – continue exact same salary and benefits. It is not unpaid leave but the work of renewal
Money for supply staff – supply pastors to cover worship, preaching, basic pastoral care
Money for other congregational activities – to explore their own passions for ministry; also to have a “sending” and “reunion” celebration at the beginning and end of sabbatical
Assistance for pastor’s activities – may choose to help supplement the cost of the pastor’s activities
p. 53 your congregation is unique – have an open conversation about what things give it life. This is not a strategy session, but a time to ask questions about joy and meaning
Some bring in guest speakers and preachers to focus on topics of interest, especially if they relate to the theme of the pastor’s sabbatical. The topics don’t have to be “religious”.
p. 56 Things to Avoid while pastor is away: finances, staffing, outreach, stewardship experts, church growth strategists, other sensitive matters that are best had when the pastor is present.
This is not like an interim period between pastors.
Things to focus on: spiritual, theological, recreational matters. Focus on experiences, not property.
If a theme is helpful, use it. But the main thing is to focus on how God is at work within the pastor’s and the congregation’s renewal time.
Chapter 5 How Do Renewal Leaves Bring Us into God’s Mission?
p. 59 The biblical testimony is that engaging in Sabbath, intentional reset and renewal, is close to the heart of faith itself.
p. 61 Renewal leaves invite us to engage in life-giving activities that will allow us to carry forward our shared mission together in ways that far exceed simple recreation. Rest for the sake of renewal is conformity to Christ – one of the ways we follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
p. 62 The “work” of sabbatical is letting go in order to trust God’s abundance.
p. 63 Dream of what is possible when the heart for ministry is fed and mobilized.
When we are astonished, we are gratified; and when we are gratified, we are free for mission.
p. 65 “What will make your heart sing?” This is a counter-cultural question – as counter-cultural as Sabbath rhythms in the Christian tradition. It is a question that displaces productivity as the measure of effectiveness, even as it recognizes that the most spiritually rooted and joyful pastors also tend to be in a much better place to “produce” excellent ministry.
Renewal leaves locate the worth of pastors, congregations, and the ministry they produce within God’s grace and God’s abundance – not in endless “labor”. Heaven measures excellence in abiding faithfulness and cultivation of joy in God.
p. 68 Reminder that rest in God’s abundance and the desire to share God’s abundance with those unjustly deprived of it are deeply intertwined, and that each feed each other.
“May your congregation be blessed in its dreaming and in its renewal for God’s work in God’s beloved world.”